From the very beginning of Doctor Who, the companions (or sometimes referred to as his assistants) of the Gallifreyan Time Lord have played a significant and central role not just within the show itself, but also upon the evolution of the good Doctor himself. His first companions had as much an impact on William Hartnell‘s portrayal of the Doctor, as does the impact of Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) on Matt Smith‘s Eleventh Doctor.

The infographic below, follows the history of the Doctor’s companions – from the early adventures of William Hartnell’s First Doctor, through to the modern era with Matt Smith. There’s a lot of interesting notes along the way, including why some companions seem to have had a much more significant impact on the history of the show overall.

Check out the full infographic here below and click for a larger version.

Very nice, although it does skip mention of the Children in Need episode which had many classic companions make a return visit.

Dave

- Is Dodo really French? - Brigadier abbreviates to Brig not Bgd - Sarah was only in season 18 in stock footage, as were Harry, Leela and the Brigadier. - Leela wasn’t in a 1983 special - The K9s that travelled with the Doctor are two different dogs - If Grace Holloway counts, then why not Chang Lee? He comes around in the end. - Lethbridge-Stewart is in Battlefield with the Seventh Doctor

Very nicely done. The only major error was having Leela appearing in 1983, which is incorrect. You could perhaps have also included the one-off companions from the various Christmas specials and 2009 specials. @ Dave: Chang Lee was the Master’s companion, not the Doctor’s; @David Lee Gold: The Children in Need Special from 1993 you refer to is not considered canon by the BBC or anyone connected to the show.